The weakness in the global economy is currently impacting the General Motion Control (GMC) market and has effectively put a damper on the market. However, the increased use of automation by manufacturers is vital due to the environment created by globalization and that will fuel GMC market growth, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.
Over the course of 2008, a series of deepening crises buffeted the global economy. “The collapse of the financial markets, major corrections in housing markets in a number of advanced economies, and surges in commodity prices all led to a virtual halt in any new capital expenditures. This severely impacted the global GMC market, with orders in the automotive and machinery markets caving in during the latter part of 2008 and continuing the downward spiral in the first half of 2009," according to Research Director Sal Spada and Senior Analyst Himanshu Shah, the principle authors of ARC’s “General Motion Control Worldwide Outlook.”
Automotive Industry Impacts GMC Market Growth
Production slowdowns across the automotive industry set off a chain of events that effectively stopped machinery orders. The limitation on capital expenditures created a new manufacturing culture, which sought to reuse existing equipment wherever possible. However, the shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles for commercial and consumer markets will create opportunities for GMC suppliers in the automotive market as these vehicles will require new production lines for vehicles as well as for new major components such as batteries and electric motors. ARC expects the GMC market will experience modest growth in 2010, as businesses slowly start investing in capital equipment.
Sustainability Will Drive Market Growth
To ensure survival in a future with volatile energy prices and availability, organizations are taking steps to reduce the impact of an energy shock on their operations. Sustainability initiatives are causing manufacturers to reduce organizational sensitivity to energy and material price volatility and making this part of the business culture by using new material, employing new manufacturing methods, and thereby creating additional uses for automation equipment, such as GMC systems.
GMC Suppliers Face Challenges with Broad-based Slowdown
For all practical purposes, the automotive, printing, textile, and general production machinery markets came to a halt, further compounding the challenges resulting from the earlier downturn in the semiconductor market. GMC suppliers dependent on these sectors rapidly scaled businesses to the reduced opportunity. This report discusses various market issues faced by GMC systems suppliers, competitive market dynamics, and suppliers’ strategies. In addition to the quantitative assessment of the GMC market, the report provides an insightful analysis of the market trends, technology trends and strategies that will impact this business in the future. A brief description regarding the regional scenarios for each major world area is also covered in this report.
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